Trials of Love
by Lady Cosmic Brownie
Summary: Set three years after the events of TTH. Tam finally realizes he was wrong for leaving, and decides to go back to the Underland. But, after all the heartbreak, will Lilly accept him? Or will he be left to rot in the dungeon? T for violence, swearing, and overall floof/angst scenes.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello Underland fans! And welcome to the third (and final) addition to the Trickster trilogy! I am very pleased that I got this far in the series, but I know that without my dedicated fans, (who stuck with me even when my writing reeeaaallllyyyy sucked,) I never would have been able to finish either fics. This story is for you guys!**

-O-

You would think after a break up like the one in The Trickster's Heir would break a person to bits. It did break Lilly, but she managed to pick up the shards of her heart and sew them back together.

However, the shards healed rather crookedly, and she was always missing the one chunk right in the center...

In the three years that have passed since Tam was an ass, our favorite DragonMaster became rather... emotional.

Her parents and bonded dragon, Xerxes, always hung around, making sure she was somewhat happy. Nevertheless, they could never fill that one hole that Tam had savagely ripped out on her birthday.

She has now possessed a colder demeanor, and she is now forever in a slight anger. She refuses to talk about Tam.

This is just a small run through of how our biter little tale has been of late, not part of the story.

So, you're sitting there thinking, "WTH am I reading this?" Well, it's because I would like you to know, 'cause Lilly will be different, I wouldn't want to shock you, now would I?

Eh, onto the real chapter!

-O-

Straw flew everywhere as Lilly struck the bag with her foot. The sack still wasn't empty, but she was still angry.

She dodged in, landed several fast blows as the straw scattered and caught in her hair. But she was in a rage; a very bad one.

Lilly growled and let a small yell out when she kicked the punching bag off the hook on the ceiling. Straw floated down lazily, landing on the floor soundlessly.

'Lilly, are you sure this is... healthy?' Xerxes, the giant blue dragon, rumbled from his bed.

"Xerxes, if it makes me less angry, it's healthy- for you guys, not myself," she grunted, getting down on her hands and knees to pick up the springy stalks.

'If you say so...' the dragon drawled.

"I do say so," Lilly snapped.

Xerxes rolled his eyes. He was used to this.

-O-

Elsewhere in the world, Tam was currently wandering through a birch forest. The white trunks stretched up like giant skeleton hands. What made it worse, was that it was the middle of winter. How

Tam loved winter. If you can't tell, that was sarcasm in it's most extreme form, snark-asm.

He had been living in the Overland for the last three years. The last three years had given him a lot of time to think on his past. A LOT of time. Quite honestly, he had no idea why he truly left, it was just a rushed action in his opinion. Stupid quick-paced author.

Another flake landed on his nose. But it wasn't snowing; however, there was wind. Tam glanced up like a startled deer, and gave a yelp as a cascade of snow fell from a tree like a white waterfall. It thudded and whumped around him, then settled, leaving powdery crystals stuck all over him, even down his collar.

He let out a sigh, and shook himself like a dog. It helped slightly. He hated snow. He hated it to the extent where he didn't even have words to describe his hatred...

There wasn't any snow in the Underland, though.

Tam closed his eyes, but snapped them open when the image of her flashed in his mind. He didn't want to think about it. Ever. That was a mistake he had made, and now he was dealing with the repercussions.

But it was so damn painful to deal with alone.

The wind picked up, swirling delicate flakes around his head in a flurry, then whisked them away to play in the air.

Tam looked around his surroundings. He was on the edge of a forest, out before him was a vast plain, sparkling with snow and ice as the mid-day sun hit it, creating tiny little rainbows in the frosty air. It was breathtaking... or would have been, if he hadn't been freezing his ass off.

-O-

It was another long boring dinner back in Regalia. Very long and boring. It was almost as bad as having to sit through a school lesson.

Several people were scattered around the table, Lily's parents had very official seats at the head of the long stone slab, while Lilly was a few spots down. Ayla was visiting in her spirit form today, along with Zeva, who was a nibbler. Ayla had explained it took too much energy to turn into their real forms when visiting the living land, but it was easier to change to something else. Or, really, that was the dumbed down version.

Lilly frowned a little more, and dragged her spoon through the stew before her. She had been in a foul mood all day- very snappish. No one had really talked to her, except for Xerxes, and even he had found her unpleasant. But that was the way she was now. Some might call it teen angst, but when you lived in a giant cave, constantly waiting for the enemy to strike...

"Ya know, Lil, it'd do you a whole lotta good to not snap your spoon in half," Ayla smirked from her left.

Lilly blinked, and gazed down at said utensil. She had it in a death grip. She released it, and stretched her stiff fingers slowly, one by one.

"Thanks for the advice," she grunted. Yes, she was still a little pissy to Ayla, when she was in a bad mood, like now.

"Anytime," Ayla gave her a bright little smile, the kind you'd just love to rip off and smash it on the ground, "Soooo... how's things?"

Lilly gave her a deadpan expression, "How do ya think?"

"Geez," Ayla muttered. "You don't need to be so... angry."

"I'm not angry!" Lilly hissed back.

This hiss drew much attention, for it had been in a dead space of conversation. Heads turned, and the clinking of silverware stopped. Lilly gave a small huff, and glared around the table, "What're you folks eyeballing' me for? Don't you have better things to stare at?" she grumbled.

There was an audible gasp from several of the nobles and higher ups. Luxa was casting her a cool angry, 'I'm so going to ground you when this is over,' look, and Gregor had given himself a Star Trek face-palm, and Ripred was currently trying not to suffocate on his food from laughter. And you know what the worse part was? They were still staring.

Lilly gave a loud sigh, slunk out of her chair, and booted out the door without being excused.

She climbed to the ducts, and snaked her way to the balcony, letting a shrill whistle out before leaping from the marble ledge.

Xerxes swooped low, and caught her gently, then looped away into the darkness of the outskirts of Regalia.

_'Dinner was that bad, then?'_ he rumbled.

"Horrible. Ayla was, well being Ayla," Lilly began.

_'So she was being normal,'_ Xerxes translated.

"People started staring at me for no reason whatsoever!"

_'You were rude to someone, and made them do silly gasps.'_

"And Mom looked like she was going to kill me! Dad was just embarrassed, and Ripred was choking on his shrimp in cream sauce."

_'So, you were in a bad mood, and you just pissed in your nest,'_ Xerxes concluded his translation with a snort.

"That's not funny!" Lilly snapped.

'_Oh, but of course it is! It's like you're speaking a foreign language, and I understand you, clear as day. That's just how well I know you,' _Xerxes shrugged his massive shoulders.

"Hmph, whatever."

-O-

** Ending on a rather abrupt note there, I know. What do you expect? On another thought, sorry it took a while to post (you're thinking, 'what? You just finished TTH yesterday') my computer was spazzing on me, and Open Office was freaking out, sooo, yeah.**


	2. To the Overland, and the Box

** What a lovely Sunday we're having. It is a rather nice Sunday, isn't it?**

** Yes.**

** Sunday.**

-O-

As Tam set up camp in the powdery snow laying in the middle of the clearing, he sighed. He stamped down a good section of the white precipitation, and pitched a small tarp tent over it. In a matter of minutes, he had his sleeping roll inside the awkward shelter, and a tiny fire started outside. After a brief consultation of his pack, Tam found a small slab of meat wrapped in a sheet of thin leather. He skewered it on a sharp little stick-somehow managing to stab himself with it, dammit!- and hung it over the flames.

While the meat cooked, he sat in silence, sucking on his thumb-the stab wound- began to think about the next few days.

He was almost out of food, so he'd have to start hunting again; set traps, gather any other sorts of foods, etc.

Then the second course of action was to travel due west until he came upon the pilgrimage camp, where no doubt his sister was still living. He was to spend a few days there, then leave on his circuit again, searching for food, and wandering aimlessly through the woods. Perfect.

'And, while I'm there, I need to steal a book from someone or something, or I swear, I'll die of boredom!' He thought.

As he thought about books, he wished he had a library... and when he thought about libraries, he thought of one in particular; the one in Regalia...

Memories flew in his clustered mind, until they halted at the one of him reading... with Lilly curled up against his chest. He knew right then was when she'd figured out something was amiss with him.

The old thoughts fast-forwarded to her birthday... on the balcony. The very memory still brought a stinging to his eyes, for that was the day... the day he'd ripped out his lover's heart, smashed it upon the ground, then ran away.

Stupid.

That was all he'd been then, a stupid little kid, only thirteen, and not able to understand all the emotions running through his young body...

Stupid... the word echoed in his mind, repeating again and again, until Tam was forced to close his eyes, and breathe a deep, cleansing breath. When he opened his purple orbs again, the stress was still there, lingering... as were the memories.

Boy, this trip was going to take forever.

-O-

"... I just wish you would act your own age," Lilly rolled her eyes as her mother continued to scolding. She had already been sent to apologize to the nobles, she had been chewed out by her father, and now her mom? Jeezum...

"Mom! Mom, I get it," she sighed.

Queen Luxa's eyes narrowed, "I don't think you do. Now, as punishment for this-"

"Mom! Really, a punishment?!" Lilly cut in.

"Do not interrupt me. Your punishment is-"

"Going with me to the Overland!"

Lilly's head jerked up as her father shrugged past the curtains in her room. Luxa gave her husband a disapproving look.

"Gregor, I don't think that punishment works that way."

"Nonsense," Gregor shot back.

"Grego-"

Gregor gave her the 'I'll explain this later' face, and Luxa gave a defeated sigh.

"Alright, just..." she shook her head, not being able to find a better answer. "... I'll leave it to your father," she mumbled, walking away and through he curtain.

"The Overland, Dad?" Lilly muttered, a small gleam of excitement flashing in her eyes.

"Yep, you haven't been there... so, I'm taking you," Gregor said, giving her a smile.

"When?" she twisted a lock of her hair around a finger.

"Tomorrow. So, get your gear ready."

"Awesome."

-O-

Lilly went over her list of items: clothes, dried jerky for the road, extra socks, toothbrush and paste, hairbrush, waist knife (her father shut down the possibility of her carrying Faith's Edge along) and an extra jacket. She had everything.

Lily made her way to the balcony where Xerxes waited, and crawled up to her perch on his shoulders. The large blue dragon snorted a small puff of smoke, and launched himself into the air.

"So, Xerxe, Dad has a theory that you might turn little when we get to the surface," Lilly began.

'Interesting.'

"I don't really understand just how it'll work, but then again, you're an effing dragon, so I'm not too sure how you work. I mean, come on, mythical animal, that breathes fire. Might as well slap a unicorn down here!"

Xerxes sighed, though not with irritation. Lilly was in high spirits today, it was a nice change.

"Mmmm, bank left. We need to go down to the arena," Lilly said, tapping his left shoulder. "Umm," she said quietly when the arena shot by. "we just passed it."

Xerxes smirked to himself, 'I know, Lilly. You may want to hold on.'

Lilly caught his drift somewhat and hunkered down, gripping the large spike on his neck. The adolescent male dragon picked up speed, narrowing his wings down against his body, and stretching out his neck. Flaring his black wings slightly, he looped in the air, turning back towards the arena.

Lilly laughed in exhilaration, her long hair whipping around her head. The drake climbed into the air, until he was several hundred feet from the arena. He hovered for a moment, Lilly hanging onto the saddle for dear life.

'Are you ready, my DragonMaster?' he asked.

"Hell yeah!"

The dragon gave a low bellow and dove steeply. Four hundred feet, three hundred, two hundred... Lilly braced herself. Xerxes opened his wings with a snap, spinning slightly. He milled the great billowing sails, and landed rather daintily on his paws. Xerxes then settled down onto his breast, and folded up his wings.

"Xerxes... I'm still up here."

The great dragon blinked with irritation, the effect of his entrance shattered. He turned his great neck about. Lilly latched onto a spike on his nose, and he lowered her to the ground. She smoothed down her hair, and approached her father, who was standing near a marbled black and gray bat.

"About time you got here," he said. "So, we gonna go?"

"Nope," Lilly snarked. "We can just stand here, though."

Gregor smirked and rolled his eyes, "Alright, so," he beckoned her forward, and held out a small parchment. "I think we'll take the Moon Mine gateway here," he pointed to a small sketch on the skin, "It's the only way we can test my theory."

Lilly arched a brow, "Why is it the only way?"

"It's the only gateway large enough for Xerxes to squeeze through," Gregor explained.

Lilly scowled playfully, "Are you calling my dragon fat?"

"Oh, Gregor, you wounded me," Xerxes chimed in with a puff of smoke, hovering his head close over Lilly's.

This time, it was Gregor's turn to give a sour face.

"What?"Lilly defended, "Don't blame me for giving him an attitude, blame yourself for giving me one that I could pass down!"

"Lilly, have you seen how big he's gotten? Really, look at him."

Lilly sighed, and looked over her shoulder. Well, he was big. The young blue dragon's withers stood at five feet when he lay down and roughly ten to thirteen when he stood. His black wings were positively massive at ten feet wide and almost eleven feet long from tip to shoulder. The long tail that snaked behind him was nearly twice his body length at sixteen feet long, leaving his chest at ten feet, and neck at nine feet. He was huge.

"Okay, yeah, he's grown a bit since the first time I rode him," Lilly admitted.

Xerxes snorted, "Milady, I'm not big yet, I'm still very, very young. I'm going to keep growing until I die."

"How old will that be? Two hundred?" Gregor asked.

Xerxes chuckled this time, "No, my lord, I'll be at least over a thousand. Although, my mother was immortal, yet she was still the same size she was when she was my age."

"Who was your mom?"

Xerxes blinked irritably, and shook his head as if to rid himself of a pesky fly. He was not about to speak.

"Pshhh, whatever. Anyways, are we ready for this?"

Gregor nodded, "Yeah, let's go. "

-O-

Ayla watched Zeva as she gazed at the thing in fascination.

"Alya, what the hell is it?" she said, looking up and twitching her whiskers.

Ayla shrugged, and scooted off her chair to pick the object up. It was a box. A black box. Ayla half wondered if there was a bug in it, and she needed to smash it with a hammer. A few silver markings were etched onto the sides in swirled patterns.

"Ommm... a nightlight?" she suggested.

Zeva shook her head, "I dunno, doesn't look like one. Maybe it-"

"Oh, hey! Look! It says where it was made..." Ayla said, leaning down and picking it up. She looked at the bottom.

"Oooh, China?"

Ayla gave her a flat look, and read, "Created in... Nahrshnaflaffnaha... Narfganashnfmmmh... Noghahidenerfmehrf... Jeez, it's like whatzerface trying to say Naugahyde."

"Let me look," Zeva said, nosing at the box.

Ayla tilted it, and Zeva read, "Narth Shiresland. Probably North Shiresland, because people spelled weird a long time ago."

"Hmmmph... I don't know where that is... Jinx!" Ayla called, tucking the box under her arm, and throwing an arm in the air, her index finger pointing up.

Within moments, the bat had glided smoothly over the massive shelves. "Mmm, what?" she sighed. "You woke me up from the most wonderful nap I've had in a while."

"I need you to find a book, seeing as how you and Zeva,"-she scowled at the rat-"Broke the matrix last week."

Jinx moaned, and flopped her wings a little. "But there's thousands and thousands of shelves to look on!"

Ayla fixed her with a look. "C'mon Sally, put down your purse. I don't give a shit about the shelves. I need you to find a book on Shiresland, or at least a few so I can open this box, or see what it is," she held out the cube.

Jinx rustled her wings and nodded before fluttering into the air and jetting over the shelves.

"Awesome,"Ayla said with a wide smile.

"Y'know, Ayla," Zeva sat down and swept a paw behind an ear. "What if this thing is like a Pandora's Box when we get it open? Like disease and plague and wind and rain jump out of this thing?"

Ayla chuckled, "Oh, Zeva. I remember when I was young, and always worrying about things that never needed worried about- like thunder breaking open the sky- you'll learn, and then you'll be just as wise as me."

Zeva tilted her head, and raised a brow in the universal "Did you run out of your meds this morning?" look.

"What?"

-O-

"Alright, so the gateway should be right over here..." Gregor twisted the map sideways again.

Lilly sighed. "I told you we should have asked for directions. What's up with guys and asking go help?"

Gregor glanced at her from the bat he rode. "It's a matter of pride."

"Suuuure."

"Plus, we're not lost. Look," he pointed.

In the side of the cavern loomed a tunnel, moonlight pouring from the mouth.

Lilly looked over, and nearly reeled with surprise. "There's light coming through the hole! Is there someone there?"

"No, it's just the moon."

"The moon?Can it really do that? Wow, that's so cool!" she was practically vibrating with excitement.

Gregor smiled at her, and brought the bat down to the ledge at the mouth. Lilly followed suit. Xerxes landed with a soft thud, stirring up dust motes.

"Achoo!" Lilly sneezed. "Way to go, Xerxes. Now what?" she asked, wandering closer to the tunnel.

There was the soft rustle of gear, and Gregor walked up beside her and plopped her backpack into her hands, "We test my theory! Kaj, you're free to go," he said to the bat.

"Thank you," the bat murmured before winging off into the dark.

"How do we test it then?" Lilly said, gazing longingly into the light.

Gregor gave her the 'I don't know' look, "I guess we just have him squeeze through?"

Xerxes clicked his teeth, "Is that really your best idea?Ahh, very well," the dragon huffed, and shuffled over to the tunnel, scooting Lilly aside.

The hole was rather small, meaning he would have to crawl in. Xerxes got down in his elbows, and much like a soldier making his way through barbed wire, clawed his way through. His tail lashed slightly when his hips became lodged.

"Hey, are you stuck?" Lilly called. "Damn, Xerxe, you're effing huge. I can't even see light from around your fat ass," she muttered to herself.

Gregor delivered a sound smack to the back of her head. "Language!" he warned.

"I might be...in a little trouble," Xerxes rumbled, his voice muffled from the other side of the rock.

Lilly laughed. "Maybe you should have stayed with meat instead of the bread rolls."

"I can't help that they're delicious," he replied in her mind.

"Whatever. Dad, any ideas? I didn't bring any butter."

Gregor chewed a lip, and nodded, "Yeah. Once, Ripred got stuck in a ventilation shaft when you were little. He couldn't get his hips through, so he let them go limp, and dragged himself out. If that doesn't work for Xerxes, we can always use the soap I packed."

"Oh no, not the soap!" Xerxes let his legs limp, and strained his muscles. Dust sprinkled down behind him, and a few small rocks tumbled down from the tunnel mouth, "I'll not let ye after me with it!"

Lilly grinned at the memory that caused her dragon's distress. Never again would he come near a bathroom, or a basin of warm water.

A grinding noise snapped her attention back to Xerxes. He had finally gotten through.

"Oh, good. I don't need the soap," Gregor said, stuffing the bar he had dug out of his bag.

Lilly smirked, and adjusted her pack, "Feel small yet, Xerxe?"

"Not really, no."

Lilly stopped in mid-stride and looked at her father. He was smiling. She rushed through the opening of the tunnel, and gasped.

"Oh. My. God. Xerxes you're so cute!" she squealed.

The dragon, now the size of a sheep, frowned at her sharply. "I am not 'cute'" he mumbled.

"And your voice! It's so high and squeaky!"

Xerxes pulled a dour face, and glanced up at Gregor. Even he was trying to suppress a smile.

"This isn't funny, stop laughing," he growled, but the sound only came out as a small hiccup.

This sent Lilly into another storm of giggling, the force of it bending her over and crouching. "But it is!" she giggle-snorted.

"You sound like a pig when you laugh," he tried insulting her.

"I always have!"

-O-

Ayla poured over the book, scanning every word she could make sense of. Which was impossible, she couldn't read this junk.

"Ayla, it's written in Latin," Zeva offered.

"I know."

"You can't read it, can you?"

"Pffah! Of course I can!" Ayla defended.

Zeva's deadpan look made her grumble.

"No, I can't."

"Alright, then scoot," the rat said.

Ayla sighed, and sat up off her elbows, and slid the book over the floor to Zeva.

"Hmmm... alright, 'Cave tibi fata aperire Quisque ut veniat click puga pyga, et mundus sum.' 'Beware of fate as you open this box, should the time come, click the button, and may the world have mercy.'"

"Ooooh, that doesn't sound foreboding at all!" Ayla snickered, taking the box back from Zeva. "So, eh, where do I click the button? There's not really a 'try me' sticker on it... wait a second... how do you read Latin? Did you learn it in some other life, and you were terribly evil in that life and were turned into a rat?" Ayla said suspiciously.

Zeva frowned, "Ayla, you took Latin when I was young. You never studied your homework, but I did. Don't you remember giving me your texts and stuff at the end of the day?"

Ayla shrugged, "Alright, so what, I wasn't paying attention in that part of my life. Button... button... button... Oh, hey, is this it?" she poked a circular mark on the side of the box. There was a pop, "Sweet."

"Ayla," Jinx muttered behind her. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Psh, of course it is. I mean, come on, it was my plan and my plans always work, right?" she arched an eyebrow.

Zeva smirked, "No. Remember the 'Fire Fart' idea? If I remember you saying so, you still have the scars..."

The top of the box popped open. "Shush up, Zeva," Ayla growled.

"Hmm, make me," the rat shot back.

Something rather... wispy hovered out of the box. A rather black wispy thing.

"Ayla...?" Jinx said quietly.

"Fine, I will!" Ayla snipped.

"Well, get to it!" Zeva hissed.

"Zeva...?" Jinx whispered. The wisp was forming a shape.

"Guys?!"

"What?!" the two shrieked.

Jinx cowed, and hunkered down, pointing with the claw on her wing, "The box."

Ayla looked at the box in her hands and blanched. A little goblin-like... thing sat perched there.

"'Ello, love! Fine day, eh?" it said.

The three screamed, and Ayla tossed the box down, jarring the goblin from his perch. He scowled, "Well, ain't that just a great way to greet me? Some gratitude I get for coming out to warn ye all, hmm?" it adjusted the little tie around it's neck with a three fingered hand.

"Sweet Jesus, what is it?" Ayla yelped. "Never mind, Zeva, get the broom and kill it!"

"It's the tarantula incident all over again!" Zeva whimpered.

Only Jinx was unafraid of the little beast. "What are you?" she asked.

For once, it smiled. "Why, at least I don't get a scream from this 'un. I'm an imp. Fergus the imp if you must," he said, unfurling a pair of small wings from his back.

At this point, the other two were hysterical, "Oh no, no, no, no, no, no... flying tarantula thing, no, no, no, no, no..." Zeva fainted, soon followed by Ayla.

Fergus look at the two, and frowned, "I say, are they always like this?"

"Mmmhmm."

-O-

**Spot my movie references and win a prize! Not that anyone still follows this story anymore... sigh.**


	3. Small dragon is small

***blows on mike* Testing, testing. Can you hear me? Good. Well... this chapter has been long long long overdue, hasn't it? I am **_**very very very**_** sorry for the lateness... it's been, what, two months since I last posted? Story is, I've lost interest in Fanfiction. I know, big shock, eh? I'm working on a fiction novel, and it eats up my muse! Anyways, enough with my excuses. My muse has in fact come back from a long vacation, and is somewhat ready to cooperate! However, this chapter is short, like, four pages in Open Office... yuh. Enjoy, if you can.**

-O-

"Lilly, it's not funny."

"Yes, it is. You're the size of... like, a large nibbler."

"Or a small rat!"

It was still night time and the trio had set up a small camp a little ways from the mouth of the cave. Lilly had ogled at the moon for a good ten minutes, then started back on making fun of her dragon.

Xerxes twitched his large black wings irritably, muttering profanities under his breath.

Lilly huddled closer to the fire. "Oh, lighten up. You'll get big when we go back in a few days...right, Dad?"

Gregor shrugged.

Xerxes puffed smoke.

Awkward silence reigned.

"So... Where are we going tomorrow?" Lilly asked, trying to break the silence.

"We'll be heading towards Virginia, I want to see if we can get to my parents' house within the week."

Lilly's face lit up in a smile. "Oh yeah! I have grandparents on your side of the family! Isn't your mom a total bi-"

"Lilly!"

"What!? Ripred said she was!" Lilly defended. "I mean, really. Think about it. After the Code of Claw crap went down and you finally got your poop in a group about Mom, gram still wanted you guys to leave!" she crossed her arms, hoping to look like she had a point.

Gregor gave her the 'I'm not impressed' face.

-O-

When Ayla and Zeva finally revived, Jinx and Fergus were well acquainted.

"...and I told her, 'sis, if you name him that, he'll be picked on for the rest of his life," the imp was explaining from the top of Jinx's head.

She nodded slightly, careful not to knock the tiny little thing onto the floor.

Ayla sat in her desk, glaring at Fergus. Zeva was watching from a concealed corner. They were both feeling testy and edgy. Ayla didn't like strangers in her library. Zeva didn't like tiny green things that talked. There was a mutual dislike.

"So...Fergus, is it?" Ayla said finally. She spun a little sword letter opener between her fingers.

The imp turned his blue eyes on her. "Oh, lookie, she's talking to me now."

"Shushup." Zeva muttered from her corner.

"Testy, much?" Fergus snorted. "Are you ready to speak with me, then?"

Ayla set the letter opener down on her desk and frowned. "Yeah."

"Good," the imp hopped down from Jinx's head, and jumped up onto the desk. "You, my good friend, have made quite the oopsie."

Ayla shied back a little when he stepped forward, and picked up the letter opener. It was the perfect size, and looked like a right little sword for him.

"Oh, I like that. Can I keep this?" Fergus questioned, as he was slightly amused.

Ayla nodded.

"Good. Now, you have opened the Box. Do you know what that box is? Why, it's a right Pandora's box, that it is!" he said, not giving the former Trickster time to answer. "I am afraid all the area underground within a two hundred mile radius will be wiped out. I suggest you pack up and go while you can, an-"

Ayla snapped her hand forward, grasping the imp in her palm. "What?!"

Fergus squirmed in her grip. "Eheh, Pandora's box, kiddo. You opened it, and therefore, you have unleashed the power!"

She squeezed him, and he wheezed. "How do I stop it?"

Fergus coughed. "You don't."

"Wrong answer, Booger. What will come, and how do I stop it?!"

The imp's face had turned an interesting shade of purple. Ayla realized she was squeezing him to death. She let up a little, and he gasped.

"Fine, fine!" he yelped. "There are monsters, ghosts, all that junk! No diseases, or anything like that. You may be able to defeat them, bu-"

She slapped him down on the table. "Well. We get to fight then."

Zeva's nose peeked out of her corner a little. "Fight, eh?"

Fergus's eyes popped out of his skull. "Fight?! You can't fight them! You'll be obliterated!"

Ayla flashed him a smirk. "Fergus, please. A little trust. I used to be like, uber ghost hunter when I was little. I think I can handle this sort of thing."

He crossed his arms, and scowled. "Fine. Go get yourselves killed. You have until midnight or so until they send in the first attack. Have fun."

-O-

** Buh. I thank all of you guys for keeping some sort of patience! Especially my wonderfull beta, Assassin! Really, you guys are keeping my outta the gutter and in my computer chair :) To you, I owe... something... I dunno. **

**Have a great day, you guys! It will be a bit until I post again, but, do not fret! It will happen!**

**Cozzie.**


	4. To my dearest readers

To my dearest readers,

I know, I said I wouldn't be writing another one of these notes to you, but I'm a big fat liar. I am writing here to you with a heavy heart. I am afraid... I will not be continuing the Trickster Trilogy any further _until further notice_.

I have tried and tried and tried to write fanfiction lately... but, I just can't. It's hard for me to concentrate, and hard for me to juggle ideas around these days. I'm not too sure what's happened... the spark is just gone, to where, I do not know. It saddens me that I have lost this thing, it feels like I've lost a close friend.

And, until further notice, I will be leaving the Fanfiction community entirely. This note has been posted in my other stories in progress as well. Even if I don't owe half of you guys this temporary goodbye, you all deserve to be told why I'm leaving. You do not deserve to just be left in the dark, I'm just not that cruel.

There are tears on this keyboard as I type to you. It truly does hurt to leave, but, I've been tearing my hair out lately to try and get chapters out, and it's not been clicking for me like it used to.

I want to thank you all for following me since the beginning, in August of last year, and enduring my bad writing ;) It's been hard, and would have been harder without you guys encouraging me. I especially want the thank AssassinAuthor! Thank you so, so, so much for all your hard work! You really made this series possible, either through your reviews on every chapter and story I had in this fandom, to betaing for me! To you, I give my utmost respect.

My readers; you have been there more or less. I know, this was just another bad fanfiction, but I am honored for you guys to have even looked over it. Even those who did not review, I thank you.

And so, (with all that silly drama out of the way) I say goodbye. To my readers. To my fans. To my reviewers. To Fanfiction itself. I may see you again in the near or far future, and if I do, I'll certainly have some fresh ideas!

Goodbye guys! I'll see you soon or not! And if I do, I'm sure Lilly and Xerxes will have quite the story to speak of...

- Cozzie.


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